1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus such as a facsimile machine, for example.
2. Description of the Background
Recently, communication apparatuses have been provided with various functions, thereby increasing both the amount of registration information storable therein and the complexity of operation thereof.
For example, in a conventional type of communication apparatus, when setting a recipient address to transmit a document, a user must locate the recipient address among a great number of addresses registered in an address book, which may impose a relatively heavy load on the user.
To reduce such load, one conventional method allocates a priority order and a counter to each address registered in an address book of a cellular phone. When the cellular phone performs data transmission or reception to an address, the counter allocated to that address is incremented. Such address-book addresses are displayed in descending order of the number of transmissions and receptions, thereby enhancing operability when a user searches the address book for an address in a subsequent data transmission.
In another conventional method, the way to display addresses registered in an address book is changed depending on an application software used by a user, thereby enhancing operability when a user selects an address for data transmission.
In still another conventional method, a table including registered numbers is stored in a random access memory (RAM) and referred to when transmission or reception is performed. A counter indicating the use frequency of each phone number is incremented when the phone number is used. In such configuration, when a user searches for a phone number, the above-described table is referred to and the registered numbers in the table are displayed in descending order of their use frequencies indicated by the counters.
Further, in other conventional methods, the number of transmission times is counted by each day of the week or each time zone, and phone numbers are preferentially displayed in descending order of transmission frequency, thereby reducing a time required for a user to operate a phone number.
Meanwhile, communication apparatuses may be capable of registering a single address (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “address”) and a group address, including a collection of individual addresses, in an address book.
However, when a conventional method as described above is applied to such communication apparatus, it may be difficult to judge whether or not group addresses or other address-book addresses specific to the communication apparatus are displayed in proper priority order.
Consequently, there is a need for a communication apparatus capable of enhancing operability and convenience when a user searches for an address in an address book, thereby preventing mistransmission.